New Canaan Library will remain closed for the week starting Monday, Feb. 26 due to ongoing flood remediation, officials say.
Inside New Canaan Library during cleanup following flooding. Photo courtesy of the library
Closed since Sunday after a mechanical problem caused flooding, the library has seen its “hardworking staff and recovery team” make “very good progress on addressing the challenges caused by the accidental first floor flooding,” the organization said in a press release.
“There is more work to be done and unfortunately, we must delay our plans to reopen on Monday,” the press release said, referring to an earlier target date. The new target date is March 4.
All programs scheduled for next week will be cancelled or relocated, the library said.
A relief valve on the backflow preventer failed, causing water from the street to enter the first floor, the organization has said.
“Affected carpets have been dried and are in the process of being professionally cleaned,” the press release said. “We continue to monitor building humidity levels which have all fallen well within appropriate range. Safety inspections of walls, moldings and electrical outlets are well underway. A construction team is onsite to begin to address necessary repairs. In other good news, the Kend Kitchen and Jim and Dede Bartlett Auditorium suffered no water damage at all.
The Library staff are dedicating their efforts to ensuring that the building can be opened to the public as soon as possible, but at this time we cannot fix a date and therefore we must continue to ask for your patience and understanding.”
Those registered for a class or program should receive an email indicating either a change of venue or cancellation notice. Patrons are encouraged to check the library’s website for continued information and updates.
“Please continue to hold on to your returns – no fines will be charged during this period and extensions will be granted,” the press release said. “Kindly direct your questions to circulation@newcanaanlibrary.org and we will reply as soon as possible.”
It concluded: “Many people have reached out to us with great messages of support and good wishes: thanks to everyone for that welcome encouragement. Rest assured that our team is fully focused on bringing us back online in a safe and orderly environment. We can’t wait to see you!”
[Note: the headline on this article has been updated to make sense for the Feb. 26 newsletter.]